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Heavy Metal Concentration and Pollution Status of Cross River in Afikpo Catchment Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

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Abstract

Heavy metals are notable chemicals that threaten river ecosystems and freshwater supplies from surface waters. The levels of some heavy metals-manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As)-in Cross River were monitored over twelve months in 2018 to establish the pollution status and potability of the river. Water and sediment samples were collected from three stations of the river and analysed according to standard procedures. The result revealed that the respective mean concentrations of the metals in the water and sediment were 0.26 mg/l and 3.28 mg/kg (Zn), 2.22 mg/l and 43.73 mg/kg (Fe), 0.22 mg/l and 3.37 mg/kg (Mn), 0.42 mg/l 0.39 mg/kg (Pb), 0.036 mg/l and 0.096 mg/kg (Cu), 0.53 mg/l and 0.92 mg/kg (As), and 0.043 and 0.23 mg/kg (Cr). The decreasing order of heavy metal concentration in the water was Fe > As > Pb > Zn > Mn > Cr > Cu, while that of the sediment was Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > As > Cr > Cu. The bottom sediment was observed to contain higher concentrations of heavy metals than the surface water, signifying the accumulation of these chemicals in the bottom sediment. Most of the heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Pb, As and Cr) were detected at higher levels above the permissible limits of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, World Health Organization, and United State Environmental Protection Agency, hence, the water was polluted with these metals indicating that there may be some ecotoxicological risk to pelagic and benthic organisms living in the river.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed during this current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Gregory University, Uturu, Abia, Nigeria

    Chibuike Benjamin Anya

  2. Gregory University, Uturu, P.M.B. 1012, Abia, Nigeria

    Chibuike Benjamin Anya

  3. Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria

    Gregory Ejikeme Odo

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  2. Gregory Ejikeme Odo
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Contributions

CBA (corresponding author): conceptualization, formal analysis and investigation, data collection, data analysis, original draft preparation. GEO: methodology, data interpretation, writing review and editing, supervision.

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Correspondence to Chibuike Benjamin Anya.

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Anya, C.B., Odo, G.E. Heavy Metal Concentration and Pollution Status of Cross River in Afikpo Catchment Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Chemistry Africa 6, 2187–2197 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-023-00648-w

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